King Of War: Starting with Arms Dealer

Actually, the matter was not too complex. To Joe Ga, it seemed like a completely win-win situation, yet for some big shots, it demanded extreme caution.

Because they lacked control over P·B, they hoped that soldiers could engage in actual combat for training, but were worried that the work of the mercenaries might affect them.

People had different positions, and therefore they saw things differently.

Joe Ga really was short of manpower, and his thought at the time was that if you could send a squadron over, even a second-tier one would do, they would work for me, and I would be responsible for their thorough training.

There was no mixture of any political thoughts in this, but to those military folks, it was a different story.

Thus, the Rabbit Squad, that green bunch, was sent to feel out the way, and a hefty sum of training fees was allocated through Seville.

That meant, I pay you, but you must train according to my demands and directions.

The difference between regular troops and mercenaries was vast. Once those hard-earned soldiers went astray, there was no turning back; someone had to guide their direction firmly from behind.

What the folks back home really wanted was to send someone to participate in P·B's command system, to direct these commissioned trainees directly, so they wouldn't develop psychological issues due to identity displacement.

This was more sensitive than sending a few squads to help in combat. Joe Ga didn't mind, but those big shots were full of worries.

Several domestic companies, in order to vie for Libya's oil interests, sent Blue Sword 7 to P·B. No matter what, this was a corporate act and tacitly allowed by America, the United Kingdom, and France.

However, once the military entered the scene and sent people into P·B's command system, given P·B's leaky nature, it would be easy to invite criticism if caught on a sore point.

They didn't make it explicit, nor could they be explicit. They could only wait for Joe Ga to make the request himself, so that things could proceed naturally, and if others inquired, they could fend off any questions.

This was the political wisdom of the Chinese—anything uncertain had to leave ample room for fallback and maneuvering.

It was after all just an idle move. It would only be necessary to continue this move if Joe Ga was smart enough.

Joe Ga also realized this after the fact.

Being accustomed to putting himself in others' shoes was a key trait that enabled Joe Ga to reach where he was today. Once he guessed the others' thoughts, he simply went with the flow and agreed to their terms.

Making those people happy would bring substantial benefits!

In Joe Ga's mind, the old Rabbits were still too cautious. He didn't mind at all playing the role of a liaison.

Because it was only by integrating everyone's interests that Iraq's economic benefits could be fully unleashed.

America had already grown impatient with Iraq, and NATO was complaining bitterly. Now by offering an opportunity for all parties to cooperate sincerely in Iraq, if P·B did something out of line, no one would point fingers.

Joking aside, through Steven, Joe Ga leveraged the interests of a major portion of America's energy groups; whoever hindered their profits became their enemy!

With the two oil conglomerates securing a stable oil supply, and the majority of profits from oil field production going to the Americans, there would be no conflict of interest. Then, even if you deployed troops to join P·B in Iraq, who would voice complaints?

Even if conflicts arose later, America's main focus would be the oil transportation route through the Malacca Strait in Southeast Asia, rather than Iraq itself since the White House also couldn't withstand the pressure from those energy tycoons.

Arguments would still happen, but the money must be made!

The reason Joe Ga, whenever talking to Cameron, always encouraged him to bring the UK energy groups to the table was that every additional player entering the fray would reduce the resistance to the matter.

As unappealing as the English might be, their money was still money!

The current situation in Iraq was clear. As long as the permanent members of the UN agreed, it would become everyone's money and oil pot.

Once successful, it didn't matter if there were internal competitions. At the end of the day, a table full of dishes was prepared, and how much you could grab would depend on your own ability.

As long as no one overturned the table, Joe Ga, the Chef, didn't care if you were so mad you mixed up human and dog brains—he couldn't be upset while you were eating your meal.

......

Once things were explained, Joe Ga stopped paying attention to Rabbit Squad.

The squad waited outside Baida City for 24 hours. When over two hundred soldiers arrived to take part in level 6 selection, lawyer Jori Amon handed them P·B's contracts.

36 hours of armed march over 85 kilometers; those who completed it were certainly not inferior soldiers.

There was no need for them to participate in subsequent selections; they would directly head to Tubruq for squad training by vehicle. They had a month to bond in preparation to enter Iraq.

The ones eliminated didn't leave empty-handed either; they were equipped by P·B. 'Gunfire', the mercenary dealer, netted most of them in one swoop.

Now, he was P·B's biggest second-tier contractor, having secured contracts for important facilities' security in both Byrdi and Tubruq. Those Tuareg people were incredibly useful.

This guy also wanted to get involved in projects in Iraq, just like 'Sea Hound'; he also wanted to follow P·B and make a fortune, hence he needed more top-quality hands.

Once everything was ready, Joe Ga took all the special forces candidates to the seaside of Baida.

The weather was very nice, but the waves were a bit high.

There were over a dozen rubber boats parked on the beach, along with various motor parts...

Seeing everyone looking at each other in confusion, Joe Ga clapped his hands vigorously and said, "This is the second challenge. As a special forces team, you should have no problem dealing with the sea.

You'll need to take these rubber boats from here along the coastline to reach Tubruq, and I'm only providing you with fuel for half the journey. The rest is for you to figure out."

"The first team to arrive not only gets ample rest time but will also receive some privileges in the subsequent exercises," he added.

After finishing his speech, Joe Ga glanced at his watch, then said with a smile, "I won't bother with a starting ceremony, just do as you please..."

As soon as he had said this, Joe Ga turned and left, not looking back as he got into his car and headed in the direction of Tubruq.

Originally, this phase of the P·B assessment required them to row boats to the next stop, Tulemaise, and then, under cover of darkness, land and take care of several waves of Tulemaise terrorists.

Unfortunately, the Qaeda organization guys weren't very reliable. Once the terrorists in Baida were finished, they packed up and fled.

These people were the main force attacking Tubruq. Joe Ga didn't indulge them. It wasn't appropriate for P·B to head to Tulemaise to engage in battle. Once you hit the road, it's a different story.

After all, the unmanned drones still had their ammunition unused, so bomb them!

Without a target, the special forces team only had the option to head straight for Tubruq, didn't they?

The 150 kilometers over the sea, Joe Ga had never personally experienced whether it was difficult or not.

But Team B's Sanderson seemed to revel in the challenge, which meant there was some difficulty to it.

However, the duty of the special forces was to face adversity. By now, those who could stay had pretty much been decided. Not completing the task would at worst lead to a drop in pay grade, something they could understand.

The 'Chameleon' of Rabbit Squad had learned his lesson this time. He didn't try to act alone but instead proactively approached the Colombians and Bolivian People to discuss.

Joe the boss said he'd only provide fuel for half the distance, but he didn't say you couldn't help each other out.

In theory, if three rubber boats took turns towing everyone forward, they could reach their destination with the least effort.

The Colombians and Bolivian People were of course happy to cooperate...

It's just a pity that they all underestimated the difficulty of the test and the majesty of the great sea.

Near the coast, the waves were too big. The 'calm seas' within the Mediterranean were meant for larger boats, not for something the size of a rubber boat, which bobbed up and down with the slightest wave, like a little yellow duck entering a large bath.

Using ropes to connect the rubber boats and progress by towing led to all sorts of capsizing.

Connecting the rubber boats and relying on two to three motors for propulsion increased the resistance, and there still wasn't enough fuel.

The Colombians had some smart heads among them, but they kept quiet, intending to follow 'Bullhorn's orders and stick closely with Rabbit Squad, advancing and retreating together.

These were all minor errors, the worst being reduced to rowing. The Colombians weren't scared of that. Besides, could it be worse than the other squads acting alone?

The 'Chameleon' still lacked experience and hadn't fully understood the determination of Joe the boss to consider everything from the perspective of actual combat.

In a real battle, if you only have fuel for half the distance, would you really just obediently row the boat?

The pre-selected SAS teams were the fastest to act. They quickly assembled two rubber boats and plunged into the sea.

They didn't help each other as 'Chameleon' had imagined, but instead went full throttle the moment they hit the water, charging into the few-meter-high waves and quickly disappearing into the Mediterranean, out of everyone's sight.

Watching the French SAS, the signal flag bearers, and even the mercenary team that arrived with them make the same choice, 'Chameleon' realized he might have made a mistake again, but he just didn't understand where he went wrong.

This was the restriction brought about by identity, stance, and thinking patterns. Some lessons had to be learned the hard way before they could be understood.

The advantage of Chinese soldiers was their ability to endure hardship, but their drawback was their excessive tolerance for hardship, leading them into certain blind spots due to some honorable traditions.

Several kilometers away on the sea, Solon and Old Bull sat inside a Sea Hawk 43 patrol boat...

Through the images fed back by the drone, they watched members of Rabbit Squad struggle with their rubber boats against the waves to save fuel, forcefully rowing into the relatively calm waters before waiting for the Colombians and Bolivian People to follow...

Then these people began tying the rubber boats together to form a small island on the sea, with two boats' motors pushing the makeshift isle forward...

Old Bull watched the sea island rise and fall with the waves and averted his gaze, saying helplessly, "The English and the French know to go rob fishing boats for fuel. The Russians are crazier, planning to rob the docks in Tulemaise.

How are these foolish kids not catching on? Did they become silly after seeing blood?"

Hearing this, Solon shook his head and said, "Let's wait and see. If they don't figure it out and suffer a setback in Tubruq...

They were all reminded to be fully armed. If they can't understand that, then it's their own fault!"